Luthfi Criticises Central Java Dekopinwil Officials for Lack of Regeneration, Minister Responds with Pride in Their Loyalty
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SEMARANG – Minister of Cooperatives Ferry Juliantono and Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi attended the Regional Coordination Meeting of the Indonesian Cooperative Council Regional (Dekopinwil) Central Java at Wisma Perdamaian in Semarang City on Tuesday (14/4/2026). During his speech, Luthfi criticised the Dekopinwil Central Java officials, noting that they were filled by the same people.
Luthfi made this remark after greeting the attending figures, including the new Dekopinwil Central Java officials. “Why does it seem like the officials are always the same? Raise your hands if you’re new officials,” he said.
On that occasion, Luthfi mentioned that the number of active cooperatives in Central Java is quite substantial, reaching 19,022 with 6.8 million members. Meanwhile, their asset value is nearly Rp60 trillion. He hoped that these cooperatives would not only empower their members but also help the surrounding community.
To Minister of Cooperatives Ferry Juliantono, Luthfi stated that 8,523 Red and White Cooperatives in Central Java have legal entity status. “Of which 6,271 are already operational,” he said.
Meanwhile, in his speech, Ferry Juliantono congratulated the Dekopinwil Central Java officials for the 2026-2030 period who have been inaugurated. “Governor, even though the officials were mentioned by the Governor as being the same ones, you should know, Governor, that for nearly 30 years, cooperatives as business entities have relatively been neglected by government policy,” Ferry said.
He added that cooperatives tended to be sidelined because the main stream of the national economy consisted of private business entities and state-owned enterprises. However, Ferry noted that currently, under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, cooperatives as business entities are being revitalised.
“Therefore, at a time when cooperative business entities were neglected, it turns out, Governor, there are still people who remain loyal to our state’s ideological line in accordance with the constitution that cooperatives are the pillar of the national economy, and for that reason, I express my pride and emotion for the loyalty of you ladies and gentlemen and brothers and sisters who are still willing to manage cooperatives and even become officials of Dekopin and Dekopinwil,” Ferry stated.
He admitted to greatly appreciating those who are still willing to become Dekopin or Dekopinwil officials. “This is an attitude that has extraordinary value for us, and this struggle to restore the national economy in accordance with the constitution is also a very important struggle for this nation in facing political dynamics, geopolitics, and others that require our loyalty to continue upholding our constitution,” he said.